Sewer cleaning apparatus



April 30, 1963 H. B. CHLEBOWSKI 3,087,181

SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15, 1961 INVENTOR HARRY 5. Cfiusowsm ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,087,181 SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS Harry B. Chlebowski, St. Paul, Minn., assignor of onethird to Jane Wallen, Milwaukee, Wis., one-third to Betty Lallier, Scotia, N.Y., and one-third to Marjorie Chlebowski, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Nov. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 152,440 7 Claims. (Cl. 15--104.09)

This invention relates to an improvement in sewer cleaning apparatus and deals particularly to an apparatus capable of moving through a tubular conduit such as a sewer pipe or the like, to clean the pipe of obstructions.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus capable of moving through a sewer pipe or the like and which may be powered by such means as an electric motor connected to a source of power supply by a flexible cable or conduit. Gravity means are provided within the housing of the apparatus for holding a portion of the drive motor from rotation so that the outer housing or shell will rotate. As a result, no rigid connecting means are required to hold one part of the unit from rotation during the operation of the apparatus.

Many sewer cleaning devices have been produced which are designed to clean out a sewer pipe which includes a member mounted on a cable which is drawn through the sewer pipe from one manhole to the next. In order to start the operation, it is necessary to force a rigid member through the sewer from one manhole to another so as to draw the cable through the pipe. Certain such devices employ short lengths of rigid bar stock or the like which are detachably connected in end to end relation until the continuous rigid member reaches the next manhole. A cable is then attached to the one end of the rigid member and pulled through the pipe. The sewer cleaning means are then attached to the cable and pulled back and forth between the manholes until the sewer is clean. This operation requires considerable time and labor to accomplish.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide an outershell which may be spherical, cylindrical, or torpedo shape, the latter structure being illustrated in the drawings. The shell is preferably provided with external fins designed to bore through the obstructions in the pipe upon rotation of the shell. The shell includes a central shaft about which the shell may rotate. One end of the shaft is hollow to accommodate the wires or other means used to drive the operating motor. The apparatus includes -a pendulum type weight which is suspended from the shaft, and which is heavy enough to be held by gravity from rotation about the axis of the shell. This pendulum weight is connected to the shell through a motor which, when operated, tends to rotate the shell relative to the weight or, conversely, to rotate the weight within the shell. As long as the weight is heavy enough to resist rotation, the shell will rotate to move through the sewer or other such conduit.

It is a feature of the invention to provide a self-contained unit which includes an outer shell designed to work through an obstruction in the same manner that an auger will move through wood. However, rather than to connect the shell to an external means of rotation, the drive means is positioned within the shell and is held from rotation merely by gravity. When the drive motor starts to function, the pendulum weight tends to rotate about the axis of the shell until the force of gravity overcomes the resistance to rotation of the outer shell. Further operation of the motor then rotates the shell, as the resistance to rotation thereof is less than the force of gravity acting upon the pendulum weight.

3,087,181 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the apparatus showing the arrangement of parts therein.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view through the shell, the position of the section being indicated by the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, the apparatus includes a torpedo shaped shell 10 which is shown as having a generally cylindrical central portion 11, a generally conical forward portion 12, and a generally conical rear portion 13. One end, such as the end 13 of the shell, may be integrally connected to the central portion 11 while the other end portion, such as the front portion 12, is removably connected thereto so as to provide access to the interior of the shell body. In the particular arrangement illustrated, a detachable flange 14 is secured inwardly of the forward end of the cylindrical portion 11 of the shell by suitable means not illustrated in the drawings, and the forward portion 12 is bolted to the flange 14 by suitable bolts such as 15.

A tubular shaft 16 extends through the rear end 13 of the shell at the axis thereof, and is supported by a suitable bearing 17. A sleeve 19 extends inwardly from the forward end 12 of the shell and supports a bearing 20 which in turn supports a stubshaft 21. The shaft 21 extends into the forward end of the tubular shaft 16 and is keyed thereto as indicated at 22. Alternatively, the shaft 21 may be fixed and may rotatably support the forward end of the tubular shaft 16.

Auger-like vanes 23 are provided on the exterior surface of the shell, these vanes extending spirally about the periphery of the shell and acting to cause forward motion of the shell as it moves through an obstruction. The vanes 23 also are capable of driving the shell through an unobstructed tubular pipe merely by frictional engagement with the under surface of the pipe.

Suspended from the tubular shaft 16 is a pendulum type yoke including a pair of arms 24 and 25 which are provided with axial apertures 26 therethrough which are aligned and which accommodate the hollow shaft 16. Set screws such as 27 secure the arms 24 and 25 to the hollow shaft 16. The arms 24 and 25 are connected by a transverse connecting member 29 which is of sufiicient weight to act as a pendulum. In the particular arrangement illustrated, a rotatable shaft 30 is supported by bearings 31 and 32 at opposite ends of the connecting member 29. The shaft 30 supports the rotor 38 of an electric motor. A field coil 34 is supported within the hollow bore 35 of the connecting member. As indicated diagrammatically in the drawings, the field coil 34 is connected by conductors 36 and 37 to brushes 39 and 40 mounted in insulation sleeves 41 and 42 in the wall of the connecting member 29. The brushes 39 and 40 engage commutator rings 43 and 44 mounted upon insulation sleeves 45 and 46 on the hollow shaft 16. The commutator [rings 43 and 44 are connected to conductors 47 and 49 respectively which extend through the conduit cable 50' to a source of electrical current.

An internal gear 51 is secured to the interior of the cylindrical portion 11 of the shell 10, and a pinion 52 is mounted upon the motor shaft 30. As a result, upon energization of the motor, the motor shaft 30 will rotate.

In operation, the shell is placed within the sewer or similar conduit and the cable 50 is connected to a suitable source of power supply which acts to energize the motor 33, 34. This causes rotation of the shaft 30, and consequent rotation of the pinion 52 connected to the shaft. As the motor starts to operate, the pinion 52 will cause the pendulum weight 29 to tend to rotate about the axis of the hollow shaft 16. This action continues until the force of gravity acting upon thependulum weight 29 exceeds the frictional force resisting the rotation of the outer shell 10. At this point, continued rotation of the pinion'52 will cause'rotation of the shell ina direction to move longitudinally through the sewer or similar conduit.

removed through the use of conventional sewer cleaning equipment attached to the stronger cable. Obviously, the cable attached to the apparatus disclosed could be of sufiicient strength to draw the cleaning equipment through the sewer, but the apparatus is usually more readilymanipulated if a somewhat lighter cable'is attached.

The apparatus is also useful in drawing wires and electrical cables through an electrical conduit. The apparatusmay be operated to move through the conduit from one manhole to another, providing communication from one manhole to the next, and then the electrical conduit or cable may be drawn through in the conventional manner. Obviously, the electrical cable used to operate the apparatus may be used to thread a larger cable through'the conduit so-that an electrical cable of any desired size may be -threaded through the conduit.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in sewer cleaning apparatus, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be madewithin the scope of the following claims without departingfromthe spirit of-rny invention.

1. A- sewer cleaning apparatus including a housing, means on the exterior of saidhousin'g to advance said As soon as the apparatus reachesits 4, housing upon rotation thereof, an axial pivot shaft within said housing, a pendulum weight suspended from said shaft, motor means connected to said pendulum weight and to said housing to cause relative rotation therebetween, means for actuating said motor means, said pendulum weight being operable by gravity to limit rotation thereof and't-o rotate said housing relative to said weight.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said motor means includes two relatively rotatable members, one of which is connected to said weight and the other of which is connected'to said housing.

3. The structure described in-claim 1 and in which said rnotor means includes two relatively rotatable parts, one of which is connected to said weight and the other of which is geared to said-housing.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which said means on the exterior of said housing includes a spiral vane.

5; The structure of claim 1 and in which said pivot shaft isheld from rotation with respect to said pendulum weight;

6. A sewer cleaning apparatus including a housing, means on the exterior of said housing to advance said housingupon rotation thereof, an axial pivot shaft within said housing, a pendulum weight suspended from saidshaft, motor means connected to said pendulum Weight and to said housing to cause relative rotation therebetween, said motor means being mounted in said pendulum weight, means for actuating said motor means, and'means connecting saidmotor to said housing, said pendulum weight, functioning by gravity to limit rotation thereofand torotate said housingrelative to said weight.

7. The structure of clainrs 6 and in-which saidmotor means includesa drive shaft, and cooperable gears on said drive shaft and :on-said-housingforming the meansconnecting said motor to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,497,659 Davis'et al. Feb. 14, 1950- 2,650,314 Hennigh et al Aug; 25, 1953 2,735,122 Fletcher Feb. 21, 1956- 2,917,762 Xenis Dec. 22, 1959' 

1. A SEWER CLEANING APPARATUS INCLUDING A HOUSING, MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING TO ADVANCE SAID HOUSING UPON ROTATION THEREOF, AN AXIAL PIVOT SHAFT WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A PENDULUM WEIGHT SUSPENDED FROM SAID SHAFT, MOTOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PENDULUM WEIGHT AND TO SAID HOUSING TO CAUSE RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID MOTOR MEANS, SAID PENDULUM WEIGHT BEING OPERABLE BY GRAVITY TO LIMIT ROTATION THEREOF AND TO ROTATE SAID HOUSING RELATIVE TO SAID WEIGHT. 